This new variety of Luecanthemum.times.superbum represents a distinct clonal selection of the herbaceous perennial Shasta Daisy.
The new cultivar, Leucanthemum.times.superbum `Barbara Bush`, is named after the former First Lady with her permission, and is valued for its full season of appealing variegated foliage, and its attractive flowers and sturdy stems.
The plant orginated as a sport of Leucanthemum.times.superbum `Thomas Killen`. In early 1988 a single variegated plant with a subtle yellow-green margin on green centered leaves was discovered in the greenhouse of a perennial nursey in Zeeland, Mich. This plant was one of several in a batch of tissue culture propagated plants produced at the same nursery. The subtle variegated shasta was introduced into tissue culture in August of the same year. Some plants of this type were produced, but because of the indistinct color pattern, I put little importance on production of these plants. In 1990 I discovered a few of the transplanted plants from one tissue cultured group of the above plants that had a brighter, more defined margin. I selected one of these specimens and began producing it in tissue culture in May 1991. Since that time I have asexually propagated the new improved form, now identified as Leucanthemum.times.superbum `Barbara Bush`, by division and through tissue culture.
The tissue culture methods used to propagate identical individuals are those techniques modified and improved by me at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Several Generations of plants have been reproduced, by tissue culture, which contain all the traits and characteristics of the original plant.